Northrop Presents
American Ballet Theatre
Giselle
with Live Orchestra
Fri, Apr 18, 7:30 pm
Sat, Apr 19, 2:00 pm
American Ballet Theatre—America’s National Ballet Company®—returns to Northrop for two performances of the beloved classic, Giselle. The epitome of Romantic ballet, this heart-rending tale of love, remorse, and forgiveness perfectly fuses live music, movement, and drama. The role of Giselle requires an exquisite dancer with daring dramatic and technical skills to create a compelling portrait of the innocent, noble village maiden. In this universally acclaimed production, ABT’s unrivaled roster of international ballet stars brings Giselle‘s mystery and ethereal beauty to vivid life.
You might enjoy this performance if you love(d):
Story ballet, classical ballet, ballet with live orchestra, The Joffrey Ballet, Houston Ballet’s Swan Lake at Northrop in 2018.
This will be ABT’s 18th performance at Northrop. America’s National Ballet Company® most recently performed at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum during the ABT Across America tour in 2021, with their last performance on the Northrop stage in 2019.
Explore Single Ticket Discounts Galore*
- First Year/Free Ticket for new UMN students and staff/faculty
- $5 off for students and many others
- Children 17 and under: 50% off base price, always
- $30 under 30: 2 tickets per valid ID + one free beverage per ticket
- 20% off tickets for groups of 10 or more
*Some exclusions apply.
Create Your Own Package
Our flexible, Create Your Own package lets you choose your experiences from any three or more in-person events from the 2024-25 Northrop Season and save 15%! Subscribers enjoy:
- Savings of 15%—when you buy three+ 2024-25 Northrop Season events
- Early prepaid parking reservations—order when you purchase tickets
- Invites to exclusive, behind-the-scenes events
- Flexibility at no extra cost—get unlimited free ticket exchanges
- Our appreciation for supporting Northrop programming and Centennial Commissions! Your purchase helps make a difference.
Quotes / Reviews
“An exquisite performance by one of the world’s best companies.”—Lincoln Journal Star
“The Wilis...were extremely well-rehearsed, beautifully in sync and mysteriously quiet; they seemed to be dancing on moss.”—Dance View Times
“The overall performance proved once again that Giselle, which has been making people cry since 1841, is still alive.”—Dance View Times
“Giselle remains ABT’s crown jewel.”—Bachtrack
“Audience was held in rapt silence during American Ballet Theatre’s transporting production of Giselle.”—Washington Classical Review
Related Links
Know Before You Go
Event Information
- Theater Doors Open: 7:00 pm
- Performance Begins: 7:30 pm
- Tickets: Check the email you provided when you placed your order to locate your digital ticket. Be sure to check your spam or junk mail folders if you do not see them.
- Detailed Event Information [and Streaming Access]: Find Your Event Info link on your order confirmation or check your email within 48 hours from event date for detailed information from Northrop, U of M
If you need assistance with your tickets, please call 612-624-2345, email umntix@umn.edu.
Learn More - Explore These Themes
The content below derives from the Northrop Across Campus Program that supports Northrop's mission towards intersections between performing arts and education for the benefit of all participants now and for generations to come.
Find ways to make thematic connections to these suggested topics:
Music: Classical, Live performance, Orchestral
Dance: Ballet
Death and Mourning
Gender Studies
Middle Ages Studies
European History
European Art
Take a deeper dive with these resources that provide additional information about the performers, the history of the art form, and the artistic process.
Links:
ABT – American Ballet Theatre website
Dance View Times: “Daisies Don't Lie,” ABT review
History of ABT Production of Giselle
Start a conversation about the performance or encourage reflection, using these questions as inspiration.
Susan Jaffe, named "America's Quintessential American Ballerina" by The New York Times, enjoyed a career as a principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre (ABT) for 22 years, and now serves as ABT's artistic director and interim executive director. Under her leadership, “American Ballet Theatre is considered one of the greatest dance companies in the world, revered as a living national treasure since its founding in 1939. Few ballet companies rival ABT in size, scope, and outreach.”
- What are the advantages and challenges of creating art as an internationally and historically renowned arts institution?
- How has ballet evolved over the eight decades of ABT history? What could ballet look like in another eighty years?
According to Giselle: A History of ABT Productions, “Giselle is one of the oldest continually performed ballets, having had its world premiere on June 28, 1841 at the Theatre de l’Academie Royale de Musique in Paris … Since then, this ballet has entered the repertoire of almost all of the major ballet companies in the world.”
- Why do some stories have staying power? Why do you imagine a story like Giselle is still being told?
- What do you imagine brought audiences to live performances in 1841? What about audiences in 2024?
- What aspects of Giselle do you think have motivated choreographers to create alternate settings and narratives for the story? If you were adapting Giselle today, what further changes would you make and why?
This production will feature a walk-on cast of supernumeraries—or supers—who are background characters used to help create full and lively scenes during full-length ballets.
- How do supernumeraries contribute to a ballet performance's overall aesthetic and narrative? Can their presence alter the audience’s perception of the main dancers and the storyline?
- Evaluate the impact of supernumeraries on audience engagement and reception. Can supernumeraries create a greater sense of community during a performance?
